“I started off wanting to do something like a soup kitchen on Christmas Day and this is what we have come up with eventually,” he said.

“I felt like I had stayed at home for the last few years and over-indulged.

“One day I had a Eureka! moment and I thought this has got to stop and I wanted to do something to help. I really wanted to give something back.”

Debs Murphy, acting manager at Huddersfield’s Methodist Mission which has hosted a dinner for the homeless and needy for years, said she was delighted that this year the event would be hosted at John Smith’s Stadium instead.

“It is an historic event and something that has been around for years,” she said. “We can only host 32 people whereas Anthony is able to serve 100 people so that is great.

“There is nothing worse than people sat at home alone on Christmas Day, it is horrible. We could help 500 on a day like this as there are a lot of people who need help in Kirklees.

“But 100 places is a good start. It will be the first year that the stadium will have hosted it so limiting it to 100 is sensible as it’s a new venture for them.

“For these people to sit down on Christmas Day and have a meal and socialise with other people is very good indeed.”